AN: Thank you very much for reading, and for reviewing each review means the world to me. I read them all!
To all those who are asking if Mark will show up... He will! He's a few chapters out but I promise he is coming. While this story is mainly focused on Meredith/Lexie Mark will be here. He's important to our girl Lexie.
Side note.. I am not a doctor, google is my friend... and *TRIGGER WARNING* This does describe physical abuse and sexual abuse is mentioned.
Thank you again.. (And I am sorry for errors.. I tried!)
Meredith looked between Callie and Arizona. This wasn't how she saw this playing out. However it seemed to be in her favor. Having Arizona there was a blessing in disguise. Arizona was great at being a great source of comfort. nurturing came easy to her. Lexie wasn't a child. However right at this moment she was vulnerable like one. Arizona's presences could be the calming hand they needed. This way Callie and herself could focus fully on the injuries. Arizona could focus on keeping Lexie calm.
"I. Love. You. Remember that." She looked to Arizona. "Arizona, I'd like you to stay. I am going to need your help too."
"Oh" Arizona blinked in surprise before nodding "Yes, of course."
"Remember when you cut off the tip of your pinky?" Meredith asked Lexie as she uncovered her and helped her sit up. "Callie and Arizona helped.."
"And Mark" Lexie added tiredly "Between Callie and Mark they saved my fingertip, nailbed and all, with almost no scarring." She agreed, glancing at her pinky finger. "pinky perfect, see?"
Meredith grabbed her pinky in her hand and held onto it for a moment rubbing a comforting circle on the pad.
"That was a beautiful save" Callie smiled proudly. "and you were a champ." "The celery for the stuffing didn't make it." Arizona shook her head in amusement.
"High pain tolerance." Lexie grumbled as she avoided Meredith's eyes and ignored the celery remark.
"Well isn't that the truth." Meredith muttered to herself causing Callie and Arizona to exchange confused glances. "Standup." The older Grey instructed her sister. "Arizona, can you spot her please?"
Arizona nodded "Of course" She replied stepping closer to Lexie.
"She's been dizzy." Meredith needlessly stated. "Lex, you trust me?" she asked one more time.
Lexie slowly stood her eyes cast to the floor. Her ghostly pale complexion did not go unnoticed by any of the three other doctors in the room. "I trust you." She responded sounding confident for a brief moment before her eyes fell to the ground.
"Easy" Callie instructed Lexie as Arizona lifted her hands and held them out ready to grab on at any moment.
Meredith took one last glance at her sister before she took a deep breath. "I know this would probably be better at the hospital, you could get scans and x-rays." She rambled to Callie "But I am hoping that'll you be able to offer some help… Give me some kind of instruction on how to care for her. Before I can get her in." She didn't even know where to being in helping her sister through whatever nightmare she was currently living in.
"Meredith…" Callie began as the older Grey lifted Lexie's shirt.
The color drained from Callie's face, her eyes growing bigger her breath hitching in her throat. "My God..What? How…. Who?!" She demanded.
Arizona let out an audible gasp. She had no idea what to expect, but seeing Lexie's battered body was not it. Arizona wasn't even sure how to process what she was seeing. She could see where fingers had gripped Lexie so tightly they caused deep dark bruises. She could see every angry hostile mark. The visible outline of a hand made her stomach churn.. The pain and torture their sweet little Grey had gone through was literally written all over her body. How had nobody noticed this sooner? Her eyes gaze broke away from Lexie's body for a moment as she looked at Callie, who seemed to have frozen for a moment. Callie's trance broke and her nostrils flared slightly. Her fingers curled into tight fists. She looked ready to rip someone into pieces.
"I went between both of those reactions" Meredith stated her eyes still on her sister's bruised body. It wasn't getting easier to see.
Lexie let out a small whimper as she went to pull away. She wanted nothing more than to get away from everyone in that room. To have all the eyes off of her. She had never wanted anyone to know. Her eyes filled with tears. "I should go." she squeaked out weakly.
Arizona's attention was quickly brought back to Lexie. She realized why Meredith was wanting her help. Her hand went up and stroked Lexie's cheek. "Lexie, let Meredith and Callie help you. They're so good at their jobs, honey."
Lexie's brown eyes met with Arizona's blue as tears began to fall. "This is humiliating, Arizona."
"No, not at all." Arizona shook her head. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Not one thing." She insisted. Her voice was calm yet held a little bit of authority. Knowing Lexie needed someone to help guide her next steps. "So we're going to let Callie and Meredith get a good look." Arizona offered Lexie a warm smile "And I am going to hold your hand the entire time. I will be right here… You can talk to me. Or not. You can look at me, or close your eyes." She offered "But we're going to let them look now, okay?"
Lexie swallowed hard as Arizona used her thumbs to wipe the tears. "We are all here for you, Lexie. Nobody in this room is mad at you, and you have nothing to be ashamed of."
"That is true." Meredith offered as Lexie nodded taking Arizona's extended hand.
"Guess this can't be worse then the times I walked in on you and Callie showering." Lexie offered trying to lighten the mood of the room. Earning a smirk from Callie. "You'd think after the first time, you would have learned how to knock, little Grey.."
Arizona gave Lexie's hand a squeeze. "I've got you."
"Lexie." Callie voice calm "Look at me for a second honey."
Lexie's eyes left Arizona's as she looked to Callie.
"I am not going to hurt you." She promised "And I am going to tell you everything I am doing as I do it. No surprises.. But you just look at my beautiful girlfriend. Look at that healing smile she has. It's a magical healing smile."
"I am not a child..." Lexie mumbled but managed a smile as she looked at Arizona. "You do have an amazing smile though" She offered.
Arizona's smile grew a little as she gripped Lexie's hands tightly in hers.
Callie moved closer. "Can you take a deep breath for me, little Grey?"
Meredith watched as Lexie inhaled wincing slightly.
"Do you know if there is a doctor bag in this house?" Callie asked Meredith her eyes not leaving Lexie's ribcage area. "I want to listen to her chest."
Meredith quickly headed into her closet a few seconds later appearing with her mother's stethoscope handing it to Callie.
"I don't feel good." Lexie's voice cracked as Arizona grabbed onto her. "Lets get her back to sitting."
"Bucket!" Meredith grabbed the bucket and held it out in front of the younger Grey as Callie and Arizona got Lexie sitting on the bed.
"And this is why I haven't brought her in." Meredith exhaled getting the bucket in front of Lexie as Arizona quickly grabbed the younger Grey's hair and held it back. "She gets sick anytime I put my focus on her injuries."
"It's okay, Grey." Callie assured the worried older sister. "She's sick, and she's stressed. Lot of toxic build up in her body that just needs out." She pointed out gently "And she's in pain. That's not helping the situation."
"Meredith, why don't you go grab her some water." Arizona instructed Meredith. Knowing that the sisters both just needed a minute to breathe.
Meredith ran her fingers through her hair before nodding in agreement before she headed out of the room.
"Thank you." Lexie stated as she used a towel to wipe her mouth while Arizona disappeared into the bathroom with the bucket to wash it out. "She's really stressed out."
"Of course she is sweetie." Callie pulled Lexie's shirt down as she knelt in front of her taking her hands in hers. "She's worried about you. Someone hurt you. You're her little sister. She doesn't want to see you hurting." Callie reached up and tucked some hair behind Lexie's ears. "Level with me honestly here, Lexie. You're in pain aren't you?"
Lexie gave a slight nod "Yes, but I really am managing."
"You've been working with fractured ribs...That's gotta hurt like a son of a bitch." Callie pointed out.
"Hasn't been my favorite week." Lexie admitted as she lowered her eyes. "I am in pain, but I can manage."
"Probably explains the bug too" Callie added softly "You're not taking time to heal. Your body can't keep up, hon."
"She's right." Arizona added coming back into the room with a fresh rag. She moved to Lexie and ran it across her forehead. "It's time to take a little help."
"I didn't want to put Meredith out." Lexie exhaled. "She doesn't need more stress in her life."
"You're not." Callie promised "She'd be more upset if she found out later. She wants to help you." She assured her. "That girl will fight hard for you, Lexie."
Arizona took Lexie's hand. "Lexie, what if you found out someone hurt Meredith? How would you feel?"
Lexie was quiet for a moment as she pondered Arizona's question before she looked up. "I'd be pissed the hell off!"
"At her?" Arizona questioned gently.
"No" Lexie responded with the shake of her head. "Not at her."
Arizona offered Lexie an encouraging smile. "Exactly. Lex, she's not put out by you, she just desperately wants to help make everything better for you."
Meredith slipped back in the room with four water bottles tucked in her arms.
"Water" Meredith offered everyone in the room as she put the bottles down on the dressers. Uncapping one and handing it to Lexie. "Slowly."
Lexie took a small sip and set it back on the nightstand. "I am better, let's try again." Her confidence slowly coming back.
"You sure?" Arizona questioned as Lexie nodded in return.
"You can stay seated." Callie offered "We just need to get your shirt up, so I can listen to your chest, after I'll have you lay back on the bed, I want to feel a few areas, okay?"
Arizona extended her hand to Lexie who instantly grabbed on it, while Meredith helped raise her shirt again before standing back out of Callie's way but close enough to watch.
Callie placed the stethoscope on Lexie's back gently and her breathe in deep several times.
Meredith shifted her weight from the ball of her foot to her heel. Her arms wrapped herself protectively as she watched Callie closely listen to each of her sisters deep breaths. She should have done that herself. She was a doctor for crying out loud. Why hadn't she listened to her sister's breathing?
"Okay little Grey, lay back for me." Callie instructed.
Arizona scooted back on the bed so she could sit by Lexie's head and talk to her as Lexie eased herself down.
Meredith continued to shift her weight nervously. She didn't feel like a doctor in this moment. She did feel like the scared family member though, and it was a feeling she did not like at all.
"I am just going to feel around your ribs, you may feel a little pressure." Callie explained as she put hands down and began to move her fingers slowly watching Lexie's face closely to see if she flinched.
"Can you tell us what happened, Lex?" Arizona asked quietly as she tilted Lexie's chin to meet her eyes.
While Callie slowly began apply pressure on Lexie's body, slowly heading heading towards the sternum, her fingers barley brushing over the sternum caused Lexie to scream out in pain as her body recoiled from Callie.
Meredith froze in horror at hearing her sister cry in pain. Her blood turning to ice. Never had she heard Lexie make that kind of pained sound before. Such intense pain that made Meredith want to cry for her sister.
Arizona was able to quickly react and grabbed Lexie's shoulders stilling her from moving to quickly and injuring herself further. She leaned down her long blonde hair cascading around Lexie's face making semi of a barrier as she whispered some kind of encouraging words too the youngest Grey. Just as she would a hurting child in front of her.
Callie retracted her hands quickly and turned to Meredith who still seemed to be frozen in her spot. She gave her an apologetic look as she reached out to touch her shoulder. "Meredith..."
Meredith's attention was quickly drawn away from her hysterical sister to Callie.
"We need to take her in." Callie responded firmly knowing Meredith needed the push. It was hard to push Lexie into doing something she wasn't wanting. Lexie's big brown eyes seemed to be everyone's Kryptonite. Everyone expect for maybe Arizona who was used to working with tiny people who had big doe eyes and knew how to use them. In fact she was going to count on using that to help get little Grey there.
"She doesn't want to go." Meredith responded quietly. Not sure she was ready for the battle it would take.
"I know" Callie nodded "But the four of us will go together, okay? We will keep her safe. Isolated if we have to." Torres turned her focus to Meredith. "Here's the thing Grey, I am pretty sure she's walking around with fractured ribs and possible bruised sternum." Callie explained "Maybe a few dislocations. We have to make sure these injuries aren't going to hurt her heart or lungs or cause long term damage."
Callie was right. Meredith knew that and getting Lexie a flu test would also put her at ease. To know something else bigger going on would be nice.
"I'll go, Meredith" Lexie's spoke up between sniffs "I am tired of being in pain, and I don't want to stress you out anymore.
"You're not stressing me out" Meredith promised "but I am worried about you, I'll feel better knowing you're going to okay."
"You'll come?" Lexie asked Meredith as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I'd like to see anyone try and stop me." Meredith assured her as she reached out and wiped the tear away with the pad of her thumb. There was no way in hell she'd leave her sister's side right now. Someone had hurt her sister once. She wasn't bound to let it happen again any time soon.
"What do you say about me helping you get ready to go?." Arizona offered her a warm smile as she used her hands to smooth hair away from Lexie's face knowing full well Lexie wouldn't want to go into the hospital in pink and purple heart pajamas.
Meredith moved across her room to a pile of clothing she'd grabbed from Lexie's room in the middle of the night after a few trips to the attic to grab things for Lexie to change into. She pulled a pair of sweatpants, underwear and sock from the pile. Seeing she was out of tops Meredith opened her own drawer and pulled out one of her own shirts and hoodies before handing them to Arizona. "Her toothbrush is the purple one on the counter, use my hair brush and anything else she may need."
"I am not three, Meredith" Lexie rolled her eyes as she allowed Arizona to help her onto her feet. "I do know what my own toothbrush looks like. I also think I remember how to brush them all by myself."
Meredith ignored her comment as her sister grumbled inaudibly under her breath all the way to the bathroom. Where Arizona quietly closed the door behind them, separating the two Grey sisters for a few moments, to give them a few seconds to re-group.
"She goes from sweet to salty when she doesn't feel well, I am learning." Meredith stated grabbing a pair of jeans to slip on.
Callie glanced back towards the bathroom. "Arizona has her for a few minutes, she's okay." She tried to reassure the older sister. "How are you?"
"Fine…"
"Meredith." Callie narrowed her eyes. "I am not fine, after seeing the state Lexie's in, and I am not her sister. You can't tell me you're fine."
Meredith buttoned her jeans and grabbed a simple tee not caring she was doing a strip tease in front of Callie. Discarding her pajama top onto the foot of the bed she slipped a bra on followed by a sweatshirt.
"Grey" Callie encouraged again. "Talk to me for a minute."
She found herself rubbing her temples, willing this headache that was coming on to go away quickly. The last thing she needed was a headache. "I have to be fine, Callie." she answered quietly as she sat on her bed to pull her socks on. "Lexie's depending on me to be strong. She thinks I am unbreakable."
Callie studied Meredith for a moment before going to the nightstand and grabbing a bottle of Tylenol. Dumping two pills into her hand she grabbed a water bottle that Meredith had brought back a few minutes ago and handed them both to the older Grey sister. "take, and drink." She instructed.
Meredith stared at the pills in her hand.
"You're set on taking care of Lexie" Callie responded quietly "I am going to take care of you, take those, before that headache coming on becomes a raging one."
Meredith nodded as she popped the pills into her mouth before taking a sip of the water. She held onto the water for a second allowing it to cool her mouth before slowly swallowing it. She had no idea she'd been so thirsty or her mouth that dry. After another long swig of water and capping the water bottle Meredith looked to Callie. "Thank you."
"It's okay, to not be okay." Callie assured her "It won't change how you care for Lexie. You're also not alone anymore. Arizona and I aren't leaving, and I know Derek is here rallying for you. He did send me after all."
Meredith managed a small smile "He's a great guy."
"He is."
"Mark can't know yet." Meredith looked to Callie. "Please don't tell him.. at least not right now.. We don't want him punching everyone that has so much as looked at Lexie."
"I won't tell him right now," Callie promised. "He loves, he'll want to know at some point, but first we need to know what…" Torres paused for a moment before correcting herself "Who the hell happened to little Grey."
"She loves him too." Meredith agreed "and I think he'll play an important role in helping her heal, when she's ready."
"When she's ready." Callie agreed growing quiet for a moment "Do you think there is a chance she was sexually assaulted?" She finally asked quietly.
Meredith's blood rushed to her ears just hearing Callie's question. The thought had crept up into the back of her mind a few times. She'd pushed it away every time. Callie asking it, made it seem even more real and even more plausible.
"You haven't seen her hips, yet" Meredith responded "I didn't lower her waist band for you...the bruising." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
"It's a possibility" Callie stated "Damn, Grey your sister has the highest pain tolerance I think I've ever seen. She's been working the last week or so, in that condition."
Meredith placed her elbows on her lap as she buried her face in the palm of her hands. "You know what's worse?" She asked which came out muffled from her hands. "Other people noticed before I did, that she was off. I see her everyday and I had no clue."
"Oh hey" Callie took a seat beside Meredith and began rubbing her back. Before she gently pulled Meredith's hands into hers. "Come on Grey, you can't do that to yourself. Lexie didn't want you to see. She knew that when you finally did see, she'd have to stop pretending she was okay."
Meredith gave Callie a questioning look.
"Lexie knew that when you finally knew she'd been hurt, that you wouldn't let her ignore it and hope it went away." Callie reasoned "I believe deep down, that Lexie was ready for you to find out, and she's ready for the push only you could give her."
Meredith sighed "Callie, I've made that girl's life a living hell at one point, why should she trust me to care for her when it really counts?"
"Meredith, that is the past' Callie warned "Don't keep looking back, or you'll miss what's right in front of you." The dark hair doctor shook her head "That girl in there with my girlfriend, knows her big sister isn't perfect, knows that she messes up from time, and yet loves her unconditionally."
I love you, whether you are capable of letting me or not… So I forgive you…. (quoted from Grey's Anatomy which I do not own)
Meredith's eyes closed as she thought back to the day that Lexie had called her out on her mistreatment of her. How she stood tall. Stood strong and faced Meredith with a fire that she hadn't seen before. In that moment she knew that there would be no longer a life without Lexie in it. She just didn't know at the time just how much she'd come to value her non Lexie free life.